Autographic register



M y 1940- w. c. PFEIFFER 38 AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Filed Aug. 18, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY j A TTORNE Y3 y .w. c. PFEIFFER AUTOGRAPHIC REG-I STER Filed Aug. 18, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTOk A TTORNEYS May 14, 1940.

w. PFEIFFER AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 18, 1937 //v VENTOR W/LL/fl/W c. PFE/FFfE.

A TTORNE V5 May 14, 1940.

W. C. PFEIFFER AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Filed Aug. 18, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W/lL//4M 6 PFf/FFE A TTORNE Y5 locked position.

Patented May 14, 194.1

' arcane or ies AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER,

William C. Pfeiifer, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The Egry Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application August 18, 1937, Serial No. 159,743

Claims.

This invention relates to autographic registers, and in particular, to portable autographic registers having mechanisms for causing predetermined lengths of record sheets to be presented for detachment after the writing operation has been completed.

One object of this invention is ,to provide an autographic register employing zigzag folded webs in connection with an aligning member which engages the folds, and a pressure member which normally urges the fold into an acute angle around the aligning member, but which is connected to mechanism causing it to be urged rearwardly to convert the acute angle into an obtuse angle and release the webs for'withb" around the aligning member'during the withdrawal operation.

Another object is to provide an autographic register with the "previously described mechanism, wherein the web passes between a movable 3 member and a yieldingly urged member for engaging the webs to change the acute angle to an obtuse angle, and facilitate the passage of the webs around. the aligning edge, this mechanism being preferably operated by a manually actuated member adjacent the tear-off edge of the web.

Cross reference is hereby made to the copending application of Clayton E. Wyrick, Ser. No. 142,662, filed May 14, 1937, assigned to the same assignee and containing certain broader claims than the claims herein presented.

' In the drawings:

Figure'l is a top plan view of one embodyment of the autographic register of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, similar to Figure 1,

- .butwith the cover removed in order to disclose more completely the mechanism beneath the cover.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the register shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation; similar to Figure 3, but with the cover raised to show the mechanism within.

Figure 5 is a vertical section along the line 5-5 in Figure 1, with the web in its acute angle Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, but with the mechanism shifted to convert the acute angle of the web into an obtuse angle for passage around the aligning edge.

Figure '7 is a cross section along the line 'l-l in 5 Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rearward end of the register shown in Figure 2, but with the mechanism in the position shown in Figure 5, in section along the line 8-8 thereof.

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary enlarged sections of modifications of the corresponding portions of Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 11 is a left-hand side elevation of the modified mechanism shown in Figures 9 and .15 l0,looking in the direction of the line H-H in FigureQ.

General construction In general, the autographic register of this invention consists of a casing having a writing table and a compartment forzigzag folded webs. Associated with the writing table is an aligning member, such as a straight edge, for engaging the folds in the webs so as to lock the webs in a fixed position because of the normal inability of the acute angle of each web to pass by a straight edge inserted therein. Associated with the aligning member or straight edge is a releasing device, and a yieldingly urged member between which the webs pass. The releasing device is operated manually to alter the acute angle of the web to an obtuse angle in order to facilitate its passage around the aligning member or straight edge. The web-may then be withdrawn from the register by grasping it between the fingers, but when a predetermined length has been withdrawn another acute-angled folded portion in the web reaches and engages the aligning member or straight edge. The fold of the web thereby looks itself against the straight edge because by this time the releasing member has been withdrawn and the yieldingly urged member is'now engaging the web to one side of the aligning member or straight edge. The yieldingly urged mem- 5 ber may consist of a flexible strip, such as a flat spring, or it may consist of a finger urged against the web by a spring.

Casing construction The autographic register casing assembly consists of a base plate l0 (Figures 5 to 8), having supporting feet ll secured thereto for supporting the base plate upon a table or counter. Rising from the base plate Ill are side walls 12 and I3 on the right and left-hand sides of the assembly. Arranged between the side walls l2 and i3 and spaced above the base plate H, is a floor plate I4 (Figure 7 upon which the stacked webs are placed in zigzag folded form. The forward end of the floor plate I4 is bent in three directions. The midportion I is bent upwardly substantially at right angles so as to form an end positioning member for the web pack, whereas the portions IE, on opposite sides of the portion i5, are bent at angles thereto so as to form members for guiding detached web portions into the storage compartment ll, located in the space between the floor plate !4 and the base plate Ill. The rearward edge of the floor plate I4 is bent downwardly. as at IE, to form a rear wall for the storage compartment, the side walls of which are formed by the side walls 12 and I3 of the casing assembly.

Journalled in the side walls 12 and i3 are the pivot rods 2! which support the opposite sides 22 and 23 of the casing cover, generally designated M. Also pivotally mounted upon the inner ends of the pivot rods 2! are the bent arms 25 (Figure 6), the forward ends of which support a movable closure 25 for a slot 27 in the forward wall of the casing cover 2 5. The motion of the casing cover 24 is limited by a pair of slotted arms 28 pivoted, as at 23, to the side walls 30 of the casing cover and having slots 3i engaging the grooved ends 32 of a rod 33 secured to the side walls l2 and i3 of the casing assembly (Figure 4).

Pivotally mounted upon the pins 3 3 on the side walls i2 and I3 are the downwardly directed flanges 35 of the writing table 36 (Figure '7) The forward end of this writing table is depressed, as at 37, to form a space wherein the forward ends of the webs can be conveniently grasped between the fingers of the operator. Secured to the under side of the writing table 38 are bent spring fingers 38 which pass upwardly through slots 39 in the top thereof, emerging immediately above the depressed portion S'l. These spring fingers engage the under side of the webs and tend to push them upward so as to make grasping more convenient. The rearward ends of the writing table 36 are provided with tabs 40, which come to rest in hollow posts 4!, secured to the side walls 52 and !3 (Figure 5). The tabs at and posts 4| cooperate to position the writing table 35 when it is lowered to the writing position. The writing table 36 may be raised around its pivot pins 34 by lifting the rearward end thereof. With the writing table 85 in its raised position, the zigzag folded web packs may be more easily inserted into the space immediately above the fioor plate l4.

Secured to the lefthand side of the casing assembly and mounted upon the side wall I3 are brackets 47?. and 43, respectively. The bracket 42 is provided with a hole 44 and the bracket 43 with a slot 45 for the reception of the supporting shaft 46 of a carbon roll 41. A spring 58 (Figure 2) and a sliding washer 39 cause the carbon roll 47 to be firmly held in its brackets 42 and 43.

The carbon roll 41 carries rolled up webs 5! of manifolding material. The individual manifolding or copying webs 51 are interleaved between the individual record webs 52 having the printed forms thereon. The free ends of the manifolding webs 5! are firmly held in position against the side wall l2 by means of a carbon-retaining bar 53 which is pivoted, as at 54, to the side wall 12 and provided with a U-shaped slot 55 at its opposite end engaging a stud 55 secured to the side wall I2 (Figures 4 and '7). The carbonnotaining bar 53 is provided with projections 5'! which yieldingly engage depressions or holes in the side wall [2 (Figure 4), thereby releasably rctaining the bar 53 in its carbon-clamping position.

Secured to the rearward end of the casing cover 24 is a spring as, having a releasing button 60. The end of this spring 5.! engages a locking slot 93 in the bottom wall I S of the casing, and is released therefrom by pressing the button 60. The opening and closing of the closure 26 at the forward end of the casing is similarly regu lated by a button 52, connected to latch mechanism (not shown) and forming no part of the present invention. The closure 26 is urged into an open position by springs (not shown) when the button 62 is depressed and the latch mechanism moved into its releasing position. The free ends of the spring arms 38 are engaged by arms 63 (Figures 5 and 6) mounted upon the rod 33 (Figure 2), the outer end of which carries an arm 84 provided with a projection 65 at its free end. Projections E6 and 6? serve as stops for limiting the motion of the arm 8 Consequently, when the arm 6 is moved forwardly the associated arms 63 depress the outer ends of the spring arms and release the webs 52 from engagement with the corrugated rollers 90.

The cover 24 is provided with an aperture M (Figure 1) which discloses the writing space upon the individual webs 52. Above the forward part 75 of this aperture T6 is mounted a bridge member 16 secured at its opposite ends to the cover 24. Secured, as at T, to the under side of the cover 24 immediately beneath the rearward edge of the aperture 74, is a spring finger T3, the free end of which is bent downwardly so as to yieldingly engage the webs 52 and urge them into contact with the writing table 36 immediately adjacent its rear edge 19 (Figure 5). flie rear ward edge 79 of the writing table 36 also serves as an aligning member for the webs 52 by engaging the folds between successive webs, as will be described hereinafter in detail. The forward edge of the bridge member 15 on the cover M is cut away, as at 80, to permit the free motion of a handle 8! which is moved to and fro by the operator during the operation of the autographic register.

For this purpose the handle 81 consists of an upwardly extending portion, the lower part 82 of which (Figure 5) is mounted upon the cross bar 83 having downwardly bent ends 84 pivotally sup ported upon the pins 85 for swinging movement (Figure 6). The cross bar 83 is extended rear wardly, as at 86, and above it is mounted a curved shield plate 81 secured to the handle 8! and adapted to cover the space beneath the cutaway portion 39 in the bridge member 16. The bridge member 16 is provided with a slot 88 to permit the passage of the shield plate 8'! therethrough when the handle 8! is moved rearwardly (Figure 6). Mounted in slots 89 in the cross bar 83 are two corrugated rollers 99. These rollers are arranged immediately above the spring fingers 38 and engage the uppermost surface of the webs 2, the lowermost surface of which is engaged by the spring fingers 38. When the handle 8! is moved rearwardly (Figure 6) the corrugated rollers 96 rotate as they move rearwardly over the uppermost surface of the webs 52, and at the same time the forward ends of the spring fingers 38 are permitted to rise by reason of their having been freed from engagemnt with the rollers 90. This action pushes up the forward edges of the Webs 52 and positions them more conveniently for grasping by the operator, who inserts his fingers in the depressed portion 3'! for this purpose. The cover is releasably held in its closed position by the engagement of a spring latch 59 (Figure 5), operated by a button 60 and engaging the slot 93 in the base plate I0.

Aligning mechanism 'The aligning mechanism is operated by the handle 3| and the portions 84 of the swinging cross bar 83. For this purpose a stud 94 (Figures 2 and 4) is mounted upon one of the portions 84 and serves not only as an anchorage for one end of a coil spring 95, the opposite end of which is anchored as at 96 to the side wall I2, but also engages a slot 91 in a reciprocating bar 98. I The reciprocating bar 98 is pivotally mounted at its opposite end on a stud 99, and retained in position by a spring I00. The stud 99 is mounted upon one of a pair of swinging arms IOI, the upper ends of which are interconnected by the cross member I02, and the lower ends of which are pivotally supported upon the pivot rod I03. The pivot rod I03 is mounted upon the upwardly extending ends I04 of a bracket I05 (Figure 5) mounted upon the base plate I0. Immediately adjacent the cross member I02 and mounted between the arms IN is a rotatable roller I06.

The purpose of the roller I06 is to change the normally acute angle between the adjacent sections of the webs 52 to an obtuse angle, as shown in Figure 6, and thereby to enable the folds III of the webs 52 to move around the aligning edge I9 without'locking thereagainst. When the roller I05 is in its forward position (Figure 5), however, it no longer engages the webs 52 and their folds III again become acute angles, thereby locking themselves firmly against the aligning edge 19 of the writing table 36. The roller I06 and its swinging arms IOI are moved to this foldreleasing position when the handle III is moved rearwardly, thereby causing the stud 94 to engage the rearward ends of the slot 91 and move the reciprocating bar 98 rearwardly, thereby swinging the stud 99 on the swinging arm IOI likewise rearwardly.

Cooperating with the roller I06 and anchored beneath the pivot rod I03 is a resilient member I I2. The upper portion I I3 of this resilient memher is bent and engages the paper webs 52 immediately beneath the folds I I I and aligning edge I9, whereas the lower portion I I4 is likewise bent around the pivot rod I03 with its end II5 resting against the bottom wall I of the casing (Figures 5, 6 and 8). The resilient member may consist of a single piece of flexible metal, such as flat spring steel, or it may consist of the modifi cation shown in Figures 9, l0 and 11. In this modification the contact portion H6 consists of a comparatively rigid member having a curved upper end Ill, and having bifurcated lower portions II8 bent around the pivot rod I03 so as to find bearing support thereon. The bifurcated portions II8 are separated by a slot II9 exposing a portion of the pivot rod I03, and around which is coiled a coil spring I20 having one end engaging the contact portion H6 and the other end engaging the bottom wall II] of the register.

Operation In the operation of the autographic register of this invention, the zigzag folded pack of webs vfor convenience.

cross bar 83 (Figure 8).

'52 is loaded into the space above the floor plate I4 by lifting the edge I9 of the writing table 36. The free ends of the webs 52 are threaded around the roller I06, and a fold III thereof placed adjacent the aligning edge I9. So long as the roller I06 is in its forward position, as shown in Figure 5, the fold III forms the apex of an acute angle and consequently the webs 52 are locked firmly in position and aligned properly thereby. The forward free ends of the webs 52 are threaded through the space between the spring fingers 38 and the knurled rollers 90, and emerge beneath the cross bar 93 which serves, in part, as a tearing edge. The parts are now in the position of Figure 5. i

It is assumed that the operator has previously threaded the manifolding webs into their proper positions between the record webs 52, and secured the free ends of the manifolding webs 5! in position by the bar 53. The operator now enters his record upon the uppermost web 52, this being preferably provided with a printed form The records are duplicated upon the underlying webs 52 by means of the manifolding webs M, and an entry of the entire transaction produced in as many copies as it is convenient to make.

The operator now grasps the handle SI and moves it rearwardly into the cutaway portion 80 of the bridge member I6, thereby exposing the serts his fingers into the depressed portion 31 and grasps the record webs 52, withdrawing them from the register by a forward motion. Meanwhile, the downwardly-bent portions 84 of the cross bar 03 cause the stud 94 and the reciproe eating bar 98 to move rearwardly, likewise moving the swinging arms IIlI and the fold-releasing roller I06 rearwardly into the fold-releasing position shown in Figure 6.

When this occurs the top II3 of the resilient member I I2 is forced rearwardly from its engagement with the webs'52. With the roller I06'and the resilient member II2 in this rearward position, the webs may be withdrawn by the operator. At the start of the withdrawing operation the fold II I is immediately converted from an acute angle to an obtuse angle and passes easily around the aligning edge 19 by reason of the fact that the'roller I06 is now positioned rearwardly of the aligning edge I9 (Figure 6). When the operator releases the handle BI the latter moves to its forward position, carrying with it the roller I06 and permitting the resilient member I2 to assume its forward position, shown in Figure 5.

The operator may now detach the written portions of the webs 52 by tearing them at the fold I I I, which is now adjacent the forward edge of the cross bar 83. The latter serves as a tearing edge, and the folds III are preferably indented, perforated or otherwise weakened to assist this action. The operator may now press the button 62 and open the closure 26 to insert a duplicate record into the storage compartment II. The other copies of the written record may be disposed of in the customary manner, one being given to the purchaser and others being sent to the bookkeeping or other departments concerned with the transaction.

In the operation of the device, the arm 64 is swung manually by the operator by means of The operator then ill-2 the pin 65, in order to facilitate the threading of the webs through the register. This action depresses the ends of the spring fingers 38, which when released assist in holding the webs taut during the writing operation. The spring fingers 38 create a spring pressure which also urges the cutter bar to return to its position in response to the pull of the web against it when the printed form is withdrawn and detached.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope'of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

i. In an autographic register having a casing for a zigzag folded record web, said register having a platen provided with a fold engaging edge over which the web may be drawn to writing position, a freely pivoted member mounted in a casing and having a rounded end extending away from the web, and spring means for urging said, end into engagement with said web and toward said fold engaging edge whereby to cause said Web to assume an acute angle against said edge, and web unfolding means for engaging the opposite side of said web, actuating means for moving said web unfolding means to web unfolding position, and for moving said member away from said edge.

2. In an autographic register having a casing for a zigzag folded record web, said register having a platen provided with a fold engaging edge over which the Web may be drawn to writing position, a freely pivoted member mounted in a casing and having a rounded end extending away from the web, and spring means for urging said end into engagement with said web and toward said fold engaging edge whereby to cause said web to assume an acute angle against the edge, and web unfolding means comprising a roller for engaging the opposite side of said web, actuating means for moving said web unfolding means to web unfolding position, and for moving said member away from said edge.

3. In an autographic register having a casing for a zigzag folded record web, said register having a platen provided with a fold engaging edge over which the web may be drawn to writing position, a freely pivoted member mounted in a casing and having a rounded end extending away from the web, and spring means for urging said end into engagement with said web and toward said fold engaging edge whereby to cause said web to assume an acute angle against said edge, and web unfolding means for engaging the opposite side of said web, actuating means for moving said web unfolding means to web unfolding position, and for moving said member away from said edge, said freely pivoted member and said web unfolding means being movable transversely to said fold engaging edge.

4. In an autographic register having a casing for a zigzag folded record web, said register having a platen provided with a fold engaging edge over which the web may be drawn to writing position, a freely pivoted member mounted in a casing and having a bent upper portion extending away from the web, and spring means for urging said end into engagement with said web and toward said fold engaging edge whereby to cause said web to assume an acute angle against said edge, and web unfolding means for engaging the opposite side of said web, actuating means for moving said web unfolding means to web unfolding position, and for moving said member away from said edge.

5. In an autographic register having a casing for a zigzag folded record web, said register having a platen provided with a fold engaging edge over which the web may be drawn to writing position, a freely pivoted member mounted in a casing and having a :bent upper portion extending away from the web, and spring means for urging said end into engagement with said web and toward said fold engaging edge whereby to 11 cause said web to assume an acute angle against the edge, and web unfolding means comprising a roller for engaging the opposite side of said Web, actuating means for moving said Web unfolding means to web unfolding position, and for moving said member away from said edge.

WILLIAM C. PFEIFFER. 

